1. The Help, by Kathryn Stockett (fiction, paperback)
2. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins (fiction, paperback)
3. A Visit From The Goon Squad,, by Jennifer Egan (fiction, paperback)
4. A Stolen Life, by Jaycee Dugard (nonfiction, hardcover)
5. This Is Not The Story You Think It Is, by Laura Munson (nonfiction, paperback)
6. The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin (nonfiction, paperback)
7. The Imperfectionists, by Tom Rachman (fiction, paperback)
8. Prime Time, by Jane Fonda (nonfiction, hardcover)
9. A Game Of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin (fiction, paperback)
10. In The Garden of Beasts, by Erik Larson (nonfiction, paperback)

New and Noteworthy Staff Picks

Nonfiction: Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline
This fast-paced, dystopian geekfest is a love letter to video games and 1980s pop culture. Cline offers us a glimpse into a future in which an all-too-perfect virtual reality attempts to take the edge off the bleak and grimy real world. Our whole staff is in love with this book!

– Eden Mackey

Nonfiction: The Hare With Amber Eyes, by Edund De Waal
I find it difficult to critique this book, as it is so compelling on so many levels. The author, a famous potter, is an extraordinary writer. The story begins with his inheritance of Japanese netsuke and his retracing their history. His family, the Ephussis, one of the wealthiest second to the Rothchilds, is traced back to Vienna and Paris in the mid-1800s. So it is a memoir, but it is also about art and collecting. It is about anti-Semitism. It is about history and travel. Above all, it is Proustian. Alas! It also has a moral – in fact, many. It is a most rewarding read.

– Bill Dito

Fiction: The Twelfth Enchantment, by David Liss
Lovers of Jane Austen, this one is for you! David Liss is an intelligent master storyteller whose works never fail to entertain. Set in England during the Industrial Revolution, it’s a historical novel with many twists and turns and a bit of fantasy and magic to keep you on your toes. Great read.

– Bill Dito

For Kids

Kids’ Classic I Forgot to Read: I Houdini, by Lynne Reid Banks
You remember The Indian In The Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks, right? Well, this is one of my favorites from my own childhood, (it’s over 30 years old!). The hilarious tale of Houdini, a common hamster with delusions of grandeur. Awesome.

– Maggie Tokuda-Hall

Rich Ciccotelli is the manager of Books Inc. in the Marina.